Can I get pregnant on the first day of my period?

According to BabyCenter, it is possible but extremely unlikely for a woman to get pregnant on the first day of her menstrual period. Ovulation, the time when conception can occur, usually happens around day 12 to 16 of a woman's cycle, or a week or two prior to her period.

BabyCenter adds that because sperm can live in the reproductive tract for 2 to 3 days, if a woman had a particularly short cycle, it could be possible to get pregnant on the first day of a period. It could also be possible for a woman to think she is having her period when she is actually having breakthrough bleeding, and conception could occur at this point.